Next Gen Notables: No-Waste Pattern Design

Metropolis’s 2009 Next Generation competition received scores of entries, from which this year’s jury chose one winner and eight runners-up to be recognized in the May issue of the magazine. But there were far more than just nine good ideas in the bunch. The judges also selected 12 “notables”—entries that, for various reasons, fell short of the final selection, but that the jurors felt still deserved recognition. To that end, we’re posting one notable Next Generation proposal every Thursday for the next few months. (Click here to check out previous weeks’ selections.) In doing so, we hope to foster discussion that will help the teams refine their ideas, connect with like-minded readers, and perhaps even implement their projects in the real world.

This week: Samuel Formo’s No-Waste Pattern Design, for cutting garments without creating scraps of fabric, which typically get thrown away. How would it work?

According to Formo’s proposal, every part of the pattern is utilized and put into the final garment–with the interlocked puzzle-like pieces on the front being pulled through the buttonholes to create a unique closure.

Formo’s no-waste pattern. (Click for a larger image.)

Intrigued? Read more from Formo’s proposal over on our Next Generation site. Have a suggestion for implementing or adapting this idea? Leave your feedback in the comments form below.